The Bible is justly esteemed

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The Bible is justly esteemed

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1 The Bible is justly esteemed
The glory supreme of the land,
Which shows how a sinner's redeemed,
And brought to Jehovah's right hand.
With pleasure we freely confess
The Bible all books does outshine,
But Jesus his person and grace,
Affords it that luster divine.

2 In every prophetical book
Where God his decrees hath unsealed,
With joy we behold as we look,
The wonderful Savior revealed:
His glories project to the eye,
And prove it was not his design,
Those glories concealed should lie,
But there in full majesty shine.

3 The first gracious promise to man,
A blessed prediction appears,
His work is the soul of the plan,
And gives it the glory it wears.
How cheering the truth must have been
That Jesus the promised seed,
Should triumph o'er Satan and sin,
And hell in captivity lead!

4 The ancient levitical law
Was prophecy after its kind,
In types there the faithful foresaw
The Savior that ransomed mankind.
The altar, the lamb, and the priest,
The blood that was sprinkled of old,
Had life, when the people could taste
The blessing those shadows foretold.

5 Review the prophetical song,
Which shines in prediction's rich train,
The sweetness to Jesus belongs,
And point out his sufferings and reign:
Sure David his harp never strung
With more of true sacred delight,
than when of the Savior he sung,
And he was revealed to his sight.

6 May Jesus more precious become--
His word be a lamp to our feet,
While we in the wilderness roam,
'Till brought in his presence to meet!
Then, then will we gaze on thy face,
Our prophet, our priest, and our king;
Recount all thy wonders of grace,
Thy praises eternally sing.

Author: Locke

Author: K.

In John Rippon's A Selection of Hymns (1787, plus numerous subsequent editions), "How Firm a Foundation" (no. 128) is attributed simply to "K—". Two other hymns in the collection bear the same mark, "In songs of sublime adoration and praise," and "The Bible is justly esteemed." The author of the hymn has never been definitively identified, but the most common candidates are listed below.
I. Robert Keen(e)
The most likely possibility is Robert Keene, who served as precentor at Rippon's church. The evidence for connecting K with Keene comes (1) from his close acquaintance with Rippon, (2) Rippon's tune book, and (3) the testimony (of sorts) of Thomas Walker.
After Rippon started publishing a tune book, A Selection of Psalm and Hymn T… Go to person page >